aratus-第4节

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since　he　despaired　to　do　it　by　open　force。
　　Therefore　Alexander；　who　held　the　place；　being　dead；　poisoned　by
him；　as　is　reported；　and　his　wife　Nicaea　succeeding　in　the
government　and　the　possession　of　Acro…Corinthus；　he　immediately　made
use　of　his　son；　Demetrius；　and；　giving　her　pleasing　hopes　of　a　royal
marriage　and　of　a　happy　life　with　a　youth；　whom　a　woman　now　growing
old　might　well　find　agreeable；　with　this　lure　of　his　son　he
succeeded　in　taking　her；　but　the　place　itself　she　did　not　deliver
up；　but　continued　to　hold　it　with　a　very　strong　garrison；　of　which
he　seeming　to　take　no　notice；　celebrated　the　wedding　in　Corinth；
entertaining　them　with　shows　and　banquets　every　day；　as　one　that　had
nothing　else　in　his　mind　but　to　give　himself　up　for　a　while　to
indulgence　in　pleasure　and　mirth。　But　when　the　moment　came；　and
Amoebeus　began　to　sing　in　the　theatre；　he　waited　himself　upon　Nicaea
to　the　play；　she　being　carried　in　a　royally　decorated　chair；　extremely
pleased　with　her　new　honour；　not　dreaming　of　what　was　intended。　As
soon；　therefore；　as　they　were　come　to　the　turning　which　led　up　to
the　citadel；　he　desired　her　to　go　on　before　him　to　the　theatre；　but
for　himself；　bidding　farewell　to　the　music；　farewell　to　the　wedding；
he　went　on　faster　than　one　would　have　thought　his　age　would　have
admitted　to　the　Acro…Corinthus；　and；　finding　the　gate　shut；　knocked
with　his　staff；　commanding　them　to　open；　which　they　within；　being
amazed；　did。　And　having　thus　made　himself　master　of　the　place；　he
could　not　contain　himself　for　joy；　but；　though　an　old　man；　and　one
that　had　seen　so　many　turns　of　fortune；　he　must　needs　revel　it　in
the　open　streets　and　the　midst　of　the　market…place；　crowned　with
garlands　and　attended　with　flute…women；　inviting　everybody　he　met　to
partake　in　his　festivity。　So　much　more　does　joy　without　discretion
transport　and　agitate　the　mind　than　either　fear　or　sorrow。
Antigonus；　therefore；　having　in　this　manner　possessed　himself　of
Acro…Corinthus；　put　a　garrison　into　it　of　those　he　trusted　most；
making　Persaeus　the　philosopher　governor。
　　Now　Aratus；　even　in　the　lifetime　of　Alexander；　had　made　an
attempt；　but；　a　confederacy　being　made　between　Alexander　and　the
Achaeans；　he　desisted。　But　now　he　started　afresh；　with　a　new　plan　of
effecting　the　thing；　which　was　this：　there　were　in　Corinth　four
brothers；　Syrians　born；　one　of　whom；　called　Diocles；　served　as　a
soldier　in　the　garrison；　but　the　three　others；　having　stolen　some　gold
of　the　king's；　came　to　Sicyon；　to　one　Aegias；　a　banker；　whom　Aratus
made　use　of　in　his　business。　To　him　they　immediately　sold　part　of
their　gold；　and　the　rest；　one　of　them；　called　Erginus；　coming　often
thither；　exchanged　by　parcels。　Becoming；　by　this　means；　familiarly
acquainted　with　Aegias；　and　being　by　him　led　into　discourses
concerning　the　fortress；　he　told　him　that　in　going　up　to　his　brother
he　had　observed；　in　the　face　of　the　rock；　a　side　cleft；　leading　to
that　part　of　the　wall　of　the　castle　which　was　lower　than　the　rest。
At　which　Aegias　joking　with　him　and　saying；　〃So；　you　wise　man；　for　the
sake　of　a　little　gold　you　have　broken　into　the　king's　treasure；　when
you　might；　if　you　chose；　get　money　in　abundance　for　a　single　hour's
work；　burglary；　you　know；　and　treason　being　punished　with　the　same
death。〃　Erginus　laughed　and　told　him　then；　he　would　break　the　thing　to
Diocles　（for　he　did　not　altogether　trust　his　other　brothers）；　and；
returning　within　a　few　days；　he　bargained　to　conduct　Aratus　to　that
part　of　the　wall　where　it　was　no　more　than　fifteen　feet　high；　and　to
do　what　else　should　be　necessary；　together　with　his　brother　Diocles。
　　Aratus；　therefore；　agreed　to　give　them　sixty　talents　if　he
succeeded；　but　if　he　failed　in　his　enterprise；　and　yet　he　and　they
came　off　safe；　then　he　would　give　each　of　them　a　house　and　a　talent。
Now　the　threescore　talents　being　to　be　deposited　in　the　hands　of
Aegias　for　Erginus　and　his　partners；　and　Aratus　neither　having　so　much
by　him；　nor　willing；　by　borrowing　it　from　others；　to　give　any　one　a
suspicion　of　his　design；　he　pawned　his　plate　and　his　wife's　golden
ornaments　to　Aegias　for　the　money。　For　so　high　was　his　temper；　and
so　strong　his　passion　for　noble　actions；　that；　even　as　he　had　heard
that　Phocion　and　Epaminondas　were　the　best　and　justest　of　the
Greeks；　because　they　refused　the　greatest　presents；　and　would　not
surrender　their　duty　for　money；　so　he　now　chose　to　be　at　the　expense
of　this　enterprise　privately；　and　to　advance　all　the　cost　out　of　his
own　property；　taking　the　whole　hazard　on　himself　for　the　sake　of　the
rest　that　did　not　so　much　as　know　what　was　doing。　And　who　indeed　can
withhold；　even　now；　his　admiration　for　and　his　sympathy　with　the
generous　mind　of　one；　who　paid　so　largely　to　purchase　so　great　a　risk；
and　lent　out　his　richest　possessions　to　have　an　opportunity　to
expose　his　own　life；　by　entering　among　his　enemies　in　the　dead　of
the　night；　without　desiring　any　other　security　for　them　than　the
hope　of　a　noble　success。
　　Now　the　enterprise；　though　dangerous　enough　in　itself；　was　made　much
more　so　by　an　error　happening　through　mistake　in　the　very　beginning。
For　Technon；　one　of　Aratus's　servants；　was　sent　away　to　Diocles；
that　they　might　together　view　the　wall。　Now　he　had　never　seen　Diocles；
but　made　no　question　of　knowing　him　by　the　marks　Erginus　had　given　him
of　him；　namely；　that　he　had　curly　hair；　a　swarthy　complexion；　and　no
beard。　Being　come；　therefore；　to　the　appointed　place；　he　stayed
waiting　for　Erginus　and　Diocles　outside　the　town；　in　front　of　the
place　called　Ornis。　In　the　meantime；　Dionysius；　elder　brother　to
Erginus　and　Diocles；　who　knew　nothing　at　all　of　the　matter；　but　much
resembled　Diocles；　happened　to　pass　by。　Technon；　upon　this　likeness；
all　being　in　accordance　with　what　he　had　been　told；　asked　him　if　he
knew　Erginus；　and　on　his　replying　that　he　was　his　brother；　taking　it
for　granted　that　he　was　speaking　with　Diocles；　not　so　much　as　asking
his　name　or　staying　for　any　other　token；　he　gave　him　his　hand；　and
began　to　discourse　with　him　and　ask　him　questions　about　matters　agreed
upon　with　Erginus。　Dionysius；　cunningly　taking　the　advantage　of　his
mistake；　seemed　to　understand　him　very　well；　and　returning　towards　the
city；　led　him　on；　still　talking；　without　any　suspicion。　And　being
now　near　the　gate；　he　was　just　about　to　seize　on　him　when　by　chance
again　Erginus　met　them；　and；　apprehending　the　cheat　and　the　danger
beckoned　to　Technon　to　make　his　escape；　and　immediately　both　of
them；　betaking　themselves　to　their　heels；　ran　away　as　fast　as　they
could　to　Aratus；　who　for　all　this　despaired　not；　but　immediately
sent　away　Erginus　to　Dionysius　to　bribe　him　to　hold　his　tongue。　And　he
not　only　effected　that；　but　also　brought　him　along　with　him　to　Aratus。
But　when　they　had　him；　they　no　longer　left　him　at　liberty；　but　binding
him；　they　kept　him　close　shut　up　in　a　room；　whilst　they　prepared　for
executing　their　design。
　　All　things　being　now　ready；　he　commanded　the　rest　of　his　forces　to
pass　the　night　by　their　arms；　and　taking　with　him　four　hundred
chosen　men；　few　of　whom　knew　what　they　were　going　about；　he　led　them
to　the　gates　by　the　temple　of　Juno。　It　was　the　midst　of　summer　and　the
moon　was　at　full；　and　the　night　so　clear　without　any　clouds；　that
there　was　danger　lest　the　arms　glistening　in　the　moonlight　should
discover　them。　But　as　the　foremost　of　them　came　near　the　city；　a
mist　came　off　from　the　sea；　and　darkened　the　city　itself　and　the
outskirts　about　it。　Then　the　rest　of　them；　sitting　down；　put　off　their
shoes；　because　men　both　make　less　noise　and　also　climb　surer　if　they
go　up　ladders　barefooted；　but　Erginus；　taking　with　him　seven　young　men
dressed　like　travellers；　got　unobserved　to　the　gate；　and　killed　the
sentry　with　the　other　guards。　And　at　the　same　time　the　ladders　were
clapped　to　the　walls；　and　Aratus；　having　in　great　haste　got　up　a
hundred　men；　commanded　the　rest　to　follow　as　they　could；　and
immediately　drawing　up　his　ladders　after　him；　he　marched　through　the
city　with　his　hundred　men　towards　the　castle；　being　already
overjoyed　that　he　was　undiscovered；　and　not　doubting　of　the　success。
But　while　still　they　were　some　way　off；　a　watch　of　four　men　came
with　a　light；　who　did　not　see　them；　because　they　were　still　in　the
shade　of　the　moon；　but　were　seen　plainly　enough　themselves　as　they
came　on　directly　towards　them。　So　withdrawing　a　little　way　amongst
some　walls　and　plots　for　houses；　they　lay　in　wait　for　them；　and
three　of　them　they　killed。　But　the　fourth；　being　wounded　in　the　head
with　a　sword；　fled；　crying　out　that　the　enemy　was　in　the　city。　And
immediately　the　trumpets　sounded；　and　all　the　city　was　in　an　uproar　at
what　had　happened；　and　the　streets　were　full　of　people　running　up
and　down；　and　many　lights　were　seen　shining　both　below　in　the　town；
and　above　in　the　castle；　and　a　confused　noise　was　to　be　heard　in　all
parts。
　　In　the　meantime；　Aratus　was　hard　at　work　struggling　to　get　up　the
rocks；　at　first　slowly　and　with　much　difficulty；　straying
continually　from　the　path；　which　lay　deep；　and　was　overshadowed　with
the　crags；　leading　to　the　wall　with　many　windings　and　turnings；　but
the　moon　immediately；　and　as　if　by　miracle；　it　is